MP Mkandawire wants action on MHC scam involving Mutharika

Former ruling People’s Party (PP) vice president Harry Mkandawire and Mzimba West MP has demanded thorough investigations and action of the housing scam involving the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) in which President Peter Mutharika and former cabinet ministers were involved in buying houses for a song.

Mkandawire said in parliament that when government wants to deal with Cashgate scandal where the country has lost billions since 2005, it should also have action on shoddy acquisition of the MHC houses.

An expose of major housing scam involving Mutharika and former Lands and Housing Minister John Bande, who acquired for themselves corporation houses at below market value.

Mkandawire: Demands justice on houses-gate

It’s on record that 22 houses where shared among Mutharika and Bande and senior officials at MHC, a parastatal.

“We should deal with MHC scandal,” said Mkandawire, who also asked for action on K92 billion cashgate involving DPP-era.

Former MHC General Manager Golden Matiya the houses “were valued by MHC, then there was an outcry that it was on the higher side therefore we engaged the owners of the houses (government) to revalue the houses.”

In the scam, Mutharika, who was serving in the cabinet of his brother later Bingu WA Mutharika during the time of the scandal, enjoyed a 62 per cent discount, Bande got a 49 per cent discount while Matiya himself a 33 per cent discount.

A church where the MHC CEO is an elder got a whooping74 per cent discount.

Mkandawire described this as obscene and urged those involved to return the houses and the anti-Corruption Bureau to probe it further.